Loyalty Point Reward System

Abstract

A method to configure a loyalty points reward program, where the method configures a loyalty program server comprising computer readable program code to configure a loyalty point merchant consortium and a loyalty point customer consortium comprising a plurality of participating consumers. The method further dynamically sets a universal loyalty point value, and determines a quantity of universal loyalty points to allocate to the first customer based upon prior purchases made by the first consumer from the plurality of participating merchants.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method to configure a loyalty points reward program, comprising:
 configuring a loyalty program server comprising computer readable program code to configure a loyalty point merchant consortium, wherein said loyalty point merchant consortium comprises a plurality of participating merchants selling goods and or services;   configuring said loyalty program server a loyalty point customer consortium comprising a plurality of participating consumers;   setting by a first merchant a first merchant local loyalty point dollar value, wherein said first merchant is one of said plurality of participating merchants;   determining by said first merchant a quality of said first merchant local loyalty points to allocate to a first consumer based upon prior purchases made by said first consumer from said first merchant, wherein said first consumer is one of said plurality of participating consumers;   dynamically setting by said loyalty program server a universal loyalty point value;   determining by said loyalty program server a quantity of said universal loyalty points to allocate to said first customer based upon prior purchases made by said first consumer from said plurality of participating merchants;   using by said first customer said allocated local loyalty points and said allocated universal loyalty points to purchase first goods and/or services from said first merchant.   
     
     
         2 . The loyalty points reward program of  claim 1 , wherein each participating merchant sells in commerce goods and/or services described by Division G of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Retail Trade, or by Division H of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Finance, or by Division I of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Services. 
     
     
         3 . The loyalty points reward program of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first customer purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant in a first geographical location;   said loyalty program server sets said universal loyalty point value based upon said first geographical location.   
     
     
         4 . The loyalty reward program of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first customer purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a first date;   said loyalty program server sets said universal loyalty point value based upon said first date.   
     
     
         5 . The loyalty reward program of  claim 4 , wherein said loyalty program server sets said universal loyalty point value based upon said first geographical location and said first date. 
     
     
         6 . The loyalty reward program of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first customer offers to purchase said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a first date;   said loyalty program server sets a first universal loyalty point value based upon said first date;   said customer actually purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a second date, wherein said second date is one or more days later than said first date;   said loyalty program server sets a second universal loyalty point value based upon said second date, wherein said second universal loyalty point value is operative for said purchase on said second date, and wherein said second universal loyalty point value differs from said first universal loyalty point value.   
     
     
         7 . The loyalty reward program of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first customer purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant in a first geographical location;   said first merchant sets said first merchant local loyalty point value based upon said first geographical location.   
     
     
         8 . The loyalty reward program of  claim 7 , wherein:
 said first customer purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a first date;   said first merchant sets said first merchant local loyalty point value based upon said first date.   
     
     
         9 . The loyalty reward program of  claim 8 , wherein said first merchant sets said first merchant local loyalty point value based upon said first geographical location and said first date. 
     
     
         10 . A loyalty program server comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium having computer readable program code encoded therein to configure a loyalty points reward program, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:
 configuring a loyalty point merchant consortium comprising a plurality of participating merchants selling goods and or services;   configuring a loyalty point customer consortium comprising a plurality of participating consumers;   receiving from a first merchant a first merchant local loyalty point dollar value, wherein said first merchant is one of said plurality of participating merchants;   receiving from said first merchant a quality of said first merchant local loyalty points to allocate to a first consumer based upon prior purchases made by said first consumer from said first merchant, wherein said first consumer is one of said plurality of participating consumers;   dynamically setting a universal loyalty point value;   determining a quantity of said universal loyalty points to allocate to said first customer based upon prior purchases made by said first consumer from said plurality of participating merchants.   
     
     
         11 . The loyalty program server of  claim 10 , wherein each participating merchant sells in commerce goods and/or services described by Division G of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Retail Trade, or by Division H of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Finance, or by Division I of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Services. 
     
     
         12 . The loyalty program server of  claim 10 , wherein said first customer purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant in a first geographical location, the computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect setting said universal loyalty point value based upon said first geographical location. 
     
     
         13 . The loyalty program server of  claim 10 , wherein said first customer purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a first date, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect setting said universal loyalty point value based upon said first date. 
     
     
         14 . The loyalty program server of  claim 13 , the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect setting said universal loyalty point value based upon said first geographical location and said first date. 
     
     
         15 . The loyalty program server of  claim 10 , wherein:
 said first customer offers to purchase said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a first date;   said loyalty program server sets a first universal loyalty point value based upon said first date;   said customer actually purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a second date, wherein said second date is one or more days later than said first date;   said loyalty program server sets a second universal loyalty point value based upon said second date, wherein said second universal loyalty point value is operative for said purchase on said second date, and wherein said second universal loyalty point value differs from said first universal loyalty point value.   
     
     
         16 . A computer program product encoded in a non-transitory computer readable medium and usable with a programmable computer processor to configure a loyalty points reward program, comprising:
 computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to   computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to configuring a loyalty point merchant consortium comprising a plurality of participating merchants selling goods and or services;   computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to configuring a loyalty point customer consortium comprising a plurality of participating consumers;   computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receiving from a first merchant a first merchant local loyalty point dollar value, wherein said first merchant is one of said plurality of participating merchants;   computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receiving from said first merchant a quality of said first merchant local loyalty points to allocate to a first consumer based upon prior purchases made by said first consumer from said first merchant, wherein said first consumer is one of said plurality of participating consumers;   computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to dynamically setting a universal loyalty point value;   computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determining a quantity of said universal loyalty points to allocate to said first customer based upon prior purchases made by said first consumer from said plurality of participating merchants.   
     
     
         17 . The loyalty program server of  claim 16 , wherein each participating merchant sells in commerce goods and/or services described by Division G of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Retail Trade, or by Division H of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Finance, or by Division I of the OSHA Standard Industrial Codes entitled Services. 
     
     
         18 . The loyalty program server of  claim 16 , wherein said first customer purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant in a first geographical location, further comprising computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to set said universal loyalty point value based upon said first geographical location. 
     
     
         19 . The loyalty program server of  claim 16 , wherein said first customer purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a first date, further comprising computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to set said universal loyalty point value based upon said first date. 
     
     
         20 . The loyalty program server of  claim 19 , further comprising computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to set said universal loyalty point value based upon said first geographical location and said first date. 
     
     
         21 . The loyalty program server of  claim 10 , wherein:
 said first customer offers to purchase said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a first date;   said customer actually purchases said first goods and/or services from said first merchant on a second date, wherein said second date is one or more days later than said first date;   further comprising:   computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to set on said first date a first universal loyalty point value based upon said first date;   computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to set on said second date a second universal loyalty point value based upon said second date, wherein said second universal loyalty point value is operative for said purchase on said second date, and wherein said second universal loyalty point value differs from said first universal loyalty point value.